Columbia sets up rematch in B-8 title game

PASCO – Miles St. John seemed to have nothing left in the tank as Neah Bay quarterback Eric Johnson looked for the game-tying two-point conversion in overtime of the State B-8 football semifinals.

Somehow, St. John had one more play in him.

It was the game’s biggest play – well, the last in a long string of big plays – as St. John intercepted the two-point conversion to send Columbia to a second consecutive state B-8 championship game with a 42-40 overtime win over the Red Devils at Edgar Brown Stadium.

“I know No. 9 (Brad Reamer) was their two-point guy; they had been going to him all day down there,” St. John said. “This time I watched him come out, and I gave him some cushion because I wanted to let the quarterback see the receiver and I just jumped in front of it.”

St. John also carried the Lions offense, carrying 44 times for 339 yards and five touchdowns. He scored the go-ahead touchdown in overtime as well as converting the two-pointer on the ground.

“They did a good job (on St. John),” Columbia head coach Chuck Wyborney said. “He was looking to make big runs, and I think, the times when he said, ‘I’ll take my 6 yards and lower my shoulder pads,’ he looked better.”

Neah Bay (4-5) gave the second-ranked Lions (12-0) all they could handle.

Tim Greene, who started at quarterback for NB before moving to receiver, threw for 81 yards and a touchdown and caught 10 passes for 196 yards and three touchdowns. Three quarterbacks sliced apart the Lions for 352 passing yards.

“I think they were a lot better than we gave them credit for,” Wyborney said. “I think we’re awfully fortunate to still be playing football.”

Columbia led 22-18 at the half, burned by three 50-plus-yard touchdowns by Neah Bay. NB scored on a 65-yard pass from Greene to Reamer on the first play of the game, a 59-yard pass from Reamer to Greene on a fake punt and Johnson’s 71-yard quarterback draw.

As the third quarter came to a close, the Red Devils had cut it to 28-26.

A Columbia drive covering 61 yards in 15 plays with two fourth-down conversions ended in St. John’s 1-yard fourth-down dive into the end zone. The two-point conversion failed, and the Lions led by eight.

Neah Bay came right back, scoring on a 6-yard pass from Johnson to Greene, and Reamer’s reception from Johnson tied the game with four minutes left.

After Columbia turned the ball over on downs, a long Red Devils pass to the Lions’ 8-yard-line was called back because of an illegal procedure penalty. That was the largest of 12 NB penalties, and the Red Devils failed to score as the game went into overtime.

Columbia took the ball first and converted a big third-and-9 when Tyson Dashiell hit Josh Wynne for 11 yards. St. John then went in from 13 yards.

The Red Devils took the ball and scored in two plays, setting up St. John’s heroics – his first interception in a Lions uniform.

That sets up a rematch of last year’s state championship between top-ranked LaCrosse-Washtucna and the Lions, which Columbia led 12-0 before giving up 60 straight points.

L-W has won 47 straight games and three straight state championships.

“On to state again,” St. John said. “This year we’re going to give them a game. That’s been our goal all year. We didn’t feel good about ourselves going over there last year and getting beat by them like that. We’re going to go over there and give it all we can and see what happens.”